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After the vague disappointment of Angkor Wat, did Ta Phrom live up to my high expectations? It did and more - absolutely magnificent!... The temple itself was impressive enough; mighty stone structures covered in delicate carvings of flowers and seductive 'apsaras' (heavenly nymphs), carved balustrade window frames (designed to look like wood), arched passageways, and so on. But what makes this temple such a special place is that the whole mighty construction is being slowly but inevitably reclaimed by even mightier Nature. Deceptively fragile tendrils caress the walls & buildings, slowly wrapping around them and gently fingering at the crevices, opening up the cracked stone with infinite patience. Maybe the heat got to me a little, but after an afternoon spent exploring this amazing temple, I started to get the vague impression of a moss-green hand, ancient but still devastatingly powerful. It was almost as if Nature herself was slowly reaching out, grasping at this glorious example of man's hubris and literally pulling it back down to earth. But there is no sense of malice or violence, (or even of destruction), in this gradual reclamation. Rather it's as if Nature is fondly restoring the right order, overseeing the jungle's inevitable return, to flourish amidst the ruins of an ancient empire. I couldn't help wondering which modern landmarks, (which currently seem so invincible), would one day lie in ruins, amongst which tourists would wander in the same way, thinking similar thoughts... Yes, the heat was definitely getting to me. =Pvv
Angkor Two: In the footsteps of tomb raiders
Michael Meadows2006-11-13 10:18:26
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After the vague disappointment of Angkor Wat, did Ta Phrom live up to my high expectations? It did and more - absolutely magnificent!... The temple itself was impressive enough; mighty stone structures covered in delicate carvings of flowers and seductive 'apsaras' (heavenly nymphs), carved balustrade window frames (designed to look like wood), arched passageways, and so on. But what makes this temple such a special place is that the whole mighty construction is being slowly but inevitably reclaimed by even mightier Nature. Deceptively fragile tendrils caress the walls & buildings, slowly wrapping around them and gently fingering at the crevices, opening up the cracked stone with infinite patience. Maybe the heat got to me a little, but after an afternoon spent exploring this amazing temple, I started to get the vague impression of a moss-green hand, ancient but still devastatingly powerful. It was almost as if Nature herself was slowly reaching out, grasping at this glorious example of man's hubris and literally pulling it back down to earth. But there is no sense of malice or violence, (or even of destruction), in this gradual reclamation. Rather it's as if Nature is fondly restoring the right order, overseeing the jungle's inevitable return, to flourish amidst the ruins of an ancient empire. I couldn't help wondering which modern landmarks, (which currently seem so invincible), would one day lie in ruins, amongst which tourists would wander in the same way, thinking similar thoughts... Yes, the heat was definitely getting to me. =P
Throughout that first day, I'd noticed that the vast majority of my fellow temple explorers were from Japan, in regimental & impressively-disciplined tour groups, (pouring in and out of their air-conditioned buses in a near-constant flow, everyone smartly dressed, most carrying umbrellas against the hot sun, almost tripping over each other in their haste to follow the guide - easily identified
...
See photographs from:
Cambodia Gallery
